Trolley placer and guide.



No. 822,961. PATENTBD JUNE 12, 1906.

' A. LEAKB.

TROLLEY PLACER AND GUIDE.

'APPLIOk-TION FILED 00118, 1905.

I wvewtoz Eafgarefl- L ea 21:, wikneooem UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TROLLEY PLACER AND GUIDE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 12, 1906.

Application filed October 18, 1905. Serial No. 283,293

To a whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDGAR A. LEAKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lawrence, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trolley Placers and Guides, of which the following is a speci fication.

The object of myinvention is to provide an improved device for guiding and placing a trolley-wire in' the groove of the trolleywheel; and the invention consists in the construction of a device of this character which will embody few and simple parts and which will operate efficiently, so that whenever the trolley-wire is withdrawn accidentally, as by the movement of the car, from the trolleywheel it will be automatically guided to the trolley-wheel and replaced therein.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledgeof the details of-construction of the means for effecting the result reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the device. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line X X of Fig. 1. Fi 3 is a detail perspective view of a portion of one of the placers and guides.

Referring to the drawings, the referencenumeral 1 designates the head of a trolleypole, which is provided with the usual fork 2, in this instance said fork being wider than the ordinary fork for the purpose of accommodating the placer and guiding device of my invention.

3 designates a grooved trolley wheel mounted on the shaft or axle 4, journaled in said fork, and 5 designates my improved placers and guides, one of which is mounted upon the axle 4 on each side of the trolleywheel 3.

The placers and guides 5 are preferably stamped of sheet-steel or some similar light material and are circular in side elevation and are mounted to turn upon the axle or shaft 4, eccentric thereto, so that the major portion of their surface will project below the axle when they are hung thereon. Each guide 5 is provided at its edge adjacent the trolley-wheel with a tapered flange 6 of a diameter corresponding approximately to the diameter of the wheel'and in close relation thereto. The widest portion of the flanges 6 are uppermost, and the flanges taper therefrom down to the diametrically opposite lower point of the trolley-wheel, as indicated in the drawings. Each guide is further provided at its normal upper side with an inwardly-projecting lug or retaining device 7, each of which is grooved, as shown at 8, on its under side, whereby to constitute an overhanging member designed to take over the trolley-wire and to prevent it from moving laterally outside of the plane of the two guides. Each guide is also provided with a eorrespondingly-formed but larger lug 9 at the point diametrically opposite the lug 7. On the outer face of each guide 5 there is secured a projection or abutment 10, designed to contact with the pins 11, projecting inwardly from the fork, as shown, whereby to prevent the complete revolution of the guide.

In the practical operation of the device it will be assumed that the trolley-wire is located in the groove in the trolley-wheel 3. If any sidewise motion of the trolley-pole, owing to the car rounding a curve or swinging from side to side or for any reason, results in the displacement of the trolley-wheel with respect to the wire and the withdrawal of the latter from the groove in the wheel, the wire will ride upon one of the tapered flanges 6, which will cause the guides 5 to partially rotate, and the tapered flanges will thereby direct the wire back into the groove of the wheel.

The abutments 10, contacting with the pins 11, will prevent the complete revolution of the guides 5, while the grooved lugs or projections 7 or 9 will retain the trolley-wire Within the margins of the two guiding de vices and prevent the accidental withdrawal of the wire and the complete disconnection between the same and the trolley.

From the foregoing description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that I have provided an improved trolley-wire placer and guide which may be readily applied to any of the present forms of trolley wheels and forks by simply spreading the latter apart and providing a longer axleshaft for the accommodation of the guiding devices 5, and it will also be noted that the grooved lugs 7 and 9 constitute stays each effectively preventing the entire displace ment of the trolley-wire by accidental means, while the tapered flanges 6 will always insure that the wire is automatically directed back into the groove of the trolley-wheel should it for any reason become accidentally withdrawn therefrom.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. In a device of the character described, the combination with a trolley-wheel of guiding devices mounted to turn eccentrically on each side of the wheel and each provided with a tapered flange adjacent the wheel, the Widest portion of said flange being normally uppermost and each guiding device being further provided at its upper and lower sides with an inwardly-projecting overhanging lug as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a device of the character described the combination with a trolley-wheel and its fork, of circular guides mounted eccentrically on. each side of the wheel, each guide be ing provided on its inner face with a tapered flange and on its outer face with an abutment and each guide being also provided at its top and bottom with an inwardly-projecting lug, and stay-pins projecting inwardly from the fork and designed to contact with said abutments to limit the revolution of said guides.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of tWo witnesses.

EDGAR A. LEAKE. 

